Punknews interviews The Number Twelve Looks Like You!

huge thanks to Ronnie, Ben, and the entire Punknews staff!



Since they were signed to Eyeball Records in 2004, The Number Twelve Looks Like You has successfully released one EP and two full-lengths. With the release of their newest full-length, Mongrel, the band has been proving their dedication and talent to fans everywhere. After wrapping up their tour with From Autum to Ashes, The Number Twelve Looks Like You will head home to New Jersey where they will be taping for their upcoming DVD, The War of the Worlds, at School of Rock South in Hackensack, NJ on December 15. Punknews.org's own Ronnie Raffaniello had the opportunity to catch up with one of two vocalists in the band, Justin Pedrick.



What is the story behind the name The Number Twelve Looks Like You?

Jase (the other vocalist) and I had a mutual friend who wanted to start a band for lack of anything to do. Ultimately, he dropped off the project and a few members who he had scouted stuck together and started jamming. The members were Jase, Chree (the original drummer) and I. Jase and Chree were friends prior and had a clue on some other people they knew who wanted to play music, and I had the same clue. Mutually, we recruited some folks we knew, thus forming our band, which originally went under the name And Ever.

Why did you decide to start playing music under the name The Number Twelve Looks Like You instead of continuing with And Ever?

We began under the name And Ever and wrote an out of print EP in 2000. After said EP we began to get more serious and collectively changed our sound. With this change of sound we decided a new identity would be appropriate, so we went for the name change.

Mongrel, released earlier this year on Eyeball Records, was produced by Casey Bates. What was it like working with Casey, and what has the response been from your fans?

Working with Casey was certainly a blessing. He understood what we were going for and where we were coming from and was very adaptable to our demands. We certainly got the sound and attitude we were going for, and we are very thankful to him for his patience. Our fans’ response has been pretty good from what we’ve seen touring on the record thus far. I feel that fan’s feed off of new material, and we normally take our time in between putting out new stuff, so after a nice long wait, they seem to be refreshed with new songs. We hope our fans will grow with us as we grow musically

If you could describe Mongrel in three words, what would they be?

Dinner is served.

What are your favorite songs to play live and why?

‘Civeta Dei ‘is bar none my favorite song to play live. It is a song we wrote years ago and still sticks in my mind as a tour de force of emotions that is presented by the whole band. We play a lot of songs that certain band members like for certain reasons, but ‘Civeta Dei’ is one song I can look around on stage and see everyone giving 110%.

I read in an interview that took place about two years after the band was formed where Jamie expressed that he wanted to play shows in California. Now that you’ve had the opportunity to do so, did the state and fans live up to your expectations?

California was hit or miss. Southern California was especially memorable, because they gave us one of our first sold out crowds. Some of the more hip, A market areas were less receptive, but very flattering to us nonetheless. We like the weather and palm trees as well. Fuck it.

What has been the best thing about being in The Number Twelve Looks Like You and what is something that you look forward to in the band’s future?

The best thing about being in this band for me is the freedom to express myself when the feeling arrives and never having to worry about backlash from my band mates. I have the opportunity to play songs that mean a lot to me and everyone else is behind me 100%. Becoming brothers with my band mates means so very much to me, and what I look forward to is growing musically and individually with these brothers of mine.

Who or what has inspired you the most to make music?

Personal experience is my biggest inspiration. And Tom Waits has musically changed my life. I didn’t know where to go with that question, but I hope that will suffice.

You shared the stage with a lot of amazing bands, but whom would you really love to play with that you haven’t had the opportunity yet?

We have been listening to a lot of A Wilhelm Scream lately, and it’s safe to say we would all love to play with that amazing band!

Out of all songs that you could have covered, why did you choose to cover the 1979 hit ‘My Sharona’?

You’d have to ask Jase about that one!!!

Would you like to add any final words to those reading this?

I’d like to tell you, interviewer, to spell check this because I have been drinking cheap beer.

* dope photo by thefacelesskid

www.myspace.com/tntllu

ASG Announce US Tour w/ Fu Manchu!

Announces US Tour w/ Fu Manchu in Support of Upcoming Album "Win Us Over" out January 22nd on Volcom!



"Far more pummeling than anything on the last Queens of the Stone Age album—or Iron Maiden album, for that matter. It’s big rock guitars for those who like big rock guitars, all day and all night. Count me in." - Decibel Magazine

"Pure hard rock heaven" - Decoymusic.com

So far in the 21st century there haven’t been too many bands with an album cover that sums up their sound, but then again, most, or, none of them, are ASG (short for Amplification of Self Gratification).

The Wrightsville Beach, N.C. quartet’s newest album, Win Us Over, is a vivid, psychedelic, and panoramic thrust that is just as much for the ears as it is for the aura; an experience in a colorful and dense cloth of abrasiveness.

Big beefy guitar riffs and melodic foreboding are soaked in Southern roadhouse whiskey, that just might be laced with psilocybin, and are hazed out through a kaleidoscopic squall that packs a walloping sonic punch.

While the ingredients of stoner rock, psychedelic metal, and angst-ridden punk rock are transparent, ASG doesn’t fit under any particular category. Be you a fan of plain ol’ rock and roll and don sleeveless flannels while sucking down 22 ouncers and gettin’ rowdy – or enjoy waxin’ deep on the bong, Win Us Over lives up to it’s namesake and ensures that come January 22nd 2008, ASG won’t be knocking on any doors; they’ll be knocking them down.

Win Us Over is available now digitally and is set for physical release (CD & 2XLP) on January 22, 2008.

**History**



Formed in the North Carolina coastline community of Wrightsville Beach in 2001, the riff-fueled, distortion-driven rock of ASG that can be found on their latest effort has actually been at the band's core since its inception.

Initially forming as a three-piece instrumental project, due to the lack of a dedicated vocalist, ASG were intensely focusing on devising tight, driving guitar riffs, locking guitarist Jason Shi in with the rhythm section of bassist Andy Ellis and drummer Scott Key.

But as time passed and no vocalist was found, Shi was eventually forced to step up to the mic.

With Shi becoming more comfortable as a frontman, the group found themselves connecting with Volcom Entertainment, who signed the band and put them in the studio in 2003, to record their debut album, The Amplification of Self Gratification.

In 2005 ASG found themselves in a proper studio with proper producers, Matt Hyde and Phil Caivano, recording their sophomore album, Feeling Good Is Good Enough, an album that summoned all the band’s potential and spawned a thunderous hard rock creation that equaled what the band had been working towards for the past 3 years.

Shortly after completing Feeling Good Is Good Enough, second guitarist, Jonah Citty, was added to help recreate the album’s sounds live, which was none too soon as the band quickly found themselves on the road with the likes of The Sword, Torche, Dwarves, and CKY.

In June 2007 ASG returned to Los Angeles to record their fourth album, entitled Win Us Over, with Matt Hyde, which is set for physical release (CD & 2XLP) on January 22, 2008.



"Win Us Over" Tracklist:
01 Right Death Before
02 Dream Song
03 Low End Insight
04 Glow
05 Coffee Depression Sunshine
06 The Dull Blade
07 Ballad Of Richard K
08 Taking Me Over
09 A Number To Murder To
10 Gallop Song
11 Palm Springs (features guest vocals by Blag Dahlia)
12 Win Us Over
13 Bombs Away



ASG Live!
(click above to witness live shredding)

Dec 29 2007 Lucky’s Pub Port City, North Carolina

w/ Year Long Disaster!
Jan 3 2008 Mercury Lounge New York, New York
Jan 4 2008 Rex’s Westchester, Pennsylvania
Jan 5 2008 Steppin Out Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jan 6 2008 Brewery Raleigh, North Carolina
Jan 8 2008 Landshark Cafe Jacksonville, Florida
Jan 9 2008 Crowne Plaza Cocoa Beach, Florida
Jan 10 2008 Skatepark of Tampa Tampa, FL
Jan 11 2008 Backbooth Orlando, Florida

w/ Fu Manchu and Saviours!
February 27, 2008 San Francisco, CA SLIM'S (NOISE POP)
February 29, 2008 Portland, OR HAWTHORNE THEATRE
March 01, 2008 Seattle, WA EL CORAZON
March 02, 2008 Spokane, WA THE BOULEVARD
March 04, 2008 Boise, ID THE BOUQUET
March 06, 2008 Aspen, CO THE BELLY UP
March 07, 2008 Fort Collins, CO THE AGGIE THEATRE
March 08, 2008 Denver, CO THE LARIMER LOUNGE

w/ Fu Manchu and Burning Brides!
March 11, 2008 Milwaukee, WI VNUK'S
March 12, 2008 Chicago, IL DOUBLE DOOR
March 13, 2008 Detroit, MI THE MAGIC STICK
March 14, 2008 Cleveland, OH PEABODY'S
March 15, 2008 Columbus, OH RAVARI ROOM
March 16, 2008 Toledo, OH FRANKIE’S
March 17, 2008 Pittsburgh, PA THE SMILING MOOSE
March 18, 2008 New York, NY BOWERY BALLROOM
March 19, 2008 Philadelphia, PA KHYBER
March 20, 2008 Boston, MA MIDDLE EAST CLUB
March 22, 2008 Wilmington, NC THE SOAPBOX LAUNDROLOUNGE



For more information, visit:
www.asgnation.com
www.myspace.com/asgmusic
www.volcoment.com

Stereogum interviews Fucked Up!

huge thanks to Brandon Stosuy and the entire Stereogum staff!



December 19, 2007
Quit Your Day Job: Fucked Up



Unless you were born with one of those silver spoons, you likely work a day job, sneaking time for your own business when not taking care of someone else's. You're not alone. Every week, Brandon Stosuy finds out how our favorite indie artists make ends meet...

Fucked Up are one of my favorites. From their occasionally bloody, always ecstatic live shows and smart-ass, always smart politics to the fist-pumpers packed onto Hidden World and the charged, sex-workers's-rights epic "Year Of The Pig" (song of the year?), the Toronto hardcore quintet (sometimes sextet, etc.) nail the things that move me most about music. (As an aside, how did Pink Eyes not win Mr. Indie Rock?) On the socially conscious tip, they along with Xiu Xiu, were one of the bands who took an active response after being included in Camel/Rolling Stone's "Indie Universe" advertisement. Check out the post about the fiasco at their blog.

Fitting perfectly with the band's punk defiance and blue-collar vibe, Fucked Up guitarist/backup vocalist 10,000 Marbles, aka Mike Haliechuk, works long shifts at a light bulb factory: He describes the atmosphere like The Machinist, his coworkers like "crumbs of people." Definitely one of the dirtier jobs featured in Quit Your Day Job to date (though, not to give things away, but we have someone who works in a mine coming up soon).

Post-discussion, take a listen to "Crusades" and "David Comes To Life," the first two tracks from Hidden World. 10,000 Marbles wrote the lyrics for "Crusades," so take heed. In February, Fucked Up go on tour with super cool Epitaph punks, Gallows, throughout the UK. If you're over there, don't miss it. Also, FU just released their David Christmas 7", whose proceeds go to the George Herman House, "a transitional housing program for women living with mental health issues" (to quote the band's blog). According to Fucked Up -- who swear this isn't a joke -- the b-side involves a huge cast of guests, "We Are The World"-style:

James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem), Cole (Black Lips), Davey Havok (AFI), Kevin Peterson (What's Your Rupture?), Faris Rotter (The Horrors), Mike Fellows (Rites Of Spring), Matt Sweeney (Chavez/ Zwan), Dave One (Chromeo), Jacob Thiele (The Faint), Morag and Ursula, Jay Reatard, Dan Romano (Attack In Black), Trevor Keith (Face To Face), Jason Green (Panthers/ Orchid), Jerry A. (Poison Idea), Shenae Grimes (Degrassi: The Next Generation), Scott Vogel (Terror) and Nelly Furtado.

Poor Matt Sweeney to forever have Zwan affixed to his name. Furtado seems a stretch, but she is Canadian, so who knows. More on the 7" soon. In the meantime, take a walk into the factory... Click to continue reading "Quit Your Day Job: Fucked Up"

www.lookingforgold.blogspot.com

PAINT IT BLACK Announce Record Release Shows!

Announce Record Release Shows for "New Lexicon!"



"The most intelligent hardcore album of 2008. Paint it Black's most furious effort yet." - Alternative Press Magazine

"A standing army of old-school values" - Decibel Magazine

"No bullshit hardcore with pangs of melody and plenty of spots to catch your breath, only to have it torn from your mouth and choked to oblivion. Being pissed off never felt so good." - Punknews.org

"The sound of the eye-opening amazement that drew so many of us into punk and hardcore in the first place." - Pastepunk.com

Though it's a month before their new album comes out, PAINT IT BLACK has announced a two-day fest (of sorts) to celebrate the upcoming release of "New Lexicon," out February 19th on Jade Tree Records.

An album that front-man Dan Yemin proclaims "will bring punk rock back to year zero" - "New Lexicon" is a devastating, apocalyptic tour de force put together w/ the help of producer mastermind J Robbins, and avant-hiphop demi-gods, Dälek.

PAINT IT BLACK explains their upcoming record release extravaganza:

Hello Friends,
After weeks of waiting and months of planning, we're finally here with
the details of our record release weekend for "New Lexicon".

As you're hopefully aware by now, our new CD is coming out on Jade Tree in February (vinyl on Rivalry Records, CD on Reflections in Europe and Daymare in Japan), but when we sat down to start planning the shows, we were forced to confront the modern reality that these days release dates are next to meaningless. The thrill of going to the show, buying the record, then going home and having your first listen on a proper stereo has been supplanted by the burned CD-R, the leaked mp3.

So, we decided to get the jump on all that and hold our release shows well before any of that, and to further throw a wrench into the gears of the concept of the "punk rock music industry", decided it would be fun to simply GIVE the CD away to everyone who came to one of the shows. Everyone who comes to Saturday's show will get it. Free!

We've also always toyed with the idea of a "gig only" single, and since we've never released a 7", decided to press the one song
leftover from the "New Lexicon" recording sessions - "Goliath" - onto a one-sided 7" with a screened b-side. Everyone who comes to Sunday's show will get it. Free! This particular record is resolutely "gig only", and will only be available at this show -- if there's any left, we're destroying them at the end of the show. Not joking.

But don't get too distracted by the trappings of material possessions; really, this weekend is about curating a weekend of DIY punk fun in our favourite city in the world. There are over a dozen exciting and diverse bands spread over the three days of shows, so we hope you can come hang out with us. If we're not friends yet, by the end of the weekend, we will be.

Here are the full details for the two First Unitarian Church shows:

Saturday January 5th 2008 3:00pm * matinee *
PAINT IT BLACK (Record Release Show!)
WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY
DUSTHEADS
AMATEUR PARTY
+ 1 More Very Special Band TBA

*** Everyone who comes to the show will receive a FREE COPY of
the new PAINT IT BLACK CD, "New Lexicon", a month and a half before
it's released to stores! Seriously! ***

At The First Unitarian Church

(2125 Chestnut Street In Philadelphia, PA)
All Ages / $12 / Tickets At R5Productions.com & Relapse Records Shop Click Here To Purchase Advance Tickets!

Sunday January 6th 2008 6:30pm
PAINT IT BLACK (Record Release Show!)
THE HOPE CONSPIRACY (Only East Coast Appearance!)
HAVE HEART
CRIME IN STEREO
LET DOWN
+ 1 More Very Special Band TBA

*** Everyone who comes to the show will receive a FREE COPY of
the new PAINT IT BLACK 7", "Goliath", a one-sided record w/ a screened
b-side containing a song exclusive to this release which will ONLY BE
AVAILABLE AT THIS SHOW! Seriously! ***

At The First Unitarian Church
(2125 Chestnut Street In Philadelphia, PA)
All Ages / $12 / Tickets At R5Productions.com & Relapse Records Shop Click Here To Purchase Advance Tickets!

...And for everyone traveling to Philadelphia for the shows, we've put
together a Friday night pre-party/show with some killer bands and a
Saturday night afterparty with "celebrity" DJs and bands. Details for
both of those will be forthcoming shortly, so stay tuned!

See you soon!

Love,
PAINT IT BLACK
===================================================

So there you go friends, PAINT IT BLACK is revitalizing all that is punk rock and truly bringing something special to their fans. What better way to start the new year.

About "New Lexicon"

Paint it Black talks to Pastepunk.com about the making of "New Lexicon" HERE!

Late Night Wallflower reviews Paint it Black Live @ The Fest HERE!

Overproduction has the reputation of detoothing our monsters.

Paint it Black’s New Lexicon was not cheap or easy to produce. It involves the work of two renowned engineers whose studio history include Against Me!, Jets to Brazil, Jawbreaker and Texas is the Reason. But rest assured, it’s gritty, thunderous and ugly, just the way hardcore punk should be.

Rather than straining to re-create “lo-fi” in a studio, New Lexicon pushes the soundboard to the limit, bringing waves of crashing layers to the speakers. With little debate, this is their finest hour - or, half-hour, anyway. In keeping with punk classics from the Circle Jerks and the Descendents, New Lexicon’s 15 songs clock in at a dizzying total of 30 minutes, 26 seconds.

Frontman Dan Yemin says he hasn’t been this excited about a recording of his own since Lifetime’s landmark Hello Bastards.

New Lexicon, the group’s third full-length, marks Paint It Black’s first recording with new drummer Jared Shavelson (Hope Conspiracy, None More Black). Guest vocals from Jeff Pezati (Naked Raygun) appear on album closer “Shell Game Redux.” Still, many of the best surprises occur behind the scenes.

Tracked at J. Robbins’ Magpie Cage studio in Baltimore, MD., the album’s raw recording quakes with the same pulsing aggression as Modern Life is War or Black Cross. One of Robbins’ most aggressive hardcore albums to date, New Lexicon brings the bass to the forefront, rumbling with a distorted grit unseen since the Bad Brains ROIR sessions. (No, seriously.)



“Most indie or underground artists are guitar nuts, treating the bass as an afterthought,” says Yemin. “Especially with heavy music, everyone is obsessed with a thick guitar sound to sound aggressive. I’ve been frustrated with that for years.”

The solution? Take the recording to someone who unequivocally understands the importance of low end, someone with a punk background now working in hip hop: Oktopus of the apocalyptic hip hop duo Dalek. Known for his dark, cinematic production (think the RZA soundtracking the Exorcist), Oktopus samples and stretches the existing sounds of feedback, bass booms and cymbal crashes into haunting ambient interludes and serpentine waves trailing behind the buzz saw riffs.

Such studio effects could easily have gotten out of hand. But this is no attempt at “industrial-core” or a turntable-mosh disaster. Instead, disparate influences like Minor Threat, My Bloody Valentine, Swans, Deadguy and Mogwai merge together as a cohesive whole. Rather than gimmick, the co-production approach to New Lexicon aims at clarifying a brooding tone already at the heart of Paint It Black’s sound.

Lineup:
Dan Yemin – Vocals
Josh Agran – Guitar
Andy Nelson – Bass
Jared Shavelson – Drums



"New Lexicon" Track Listing:
1. The Ledge
2. Four Deadly Venoms
3. We Will Not
4. Past Tense, Future Perfect
5. Missionary Position
6. White Kids Dying of Hunger
7. Gravity Wins
8. Dead Precedents
9. The Beekeeper
10. Check Yr Math
11. So Much for Honour Among Thieves
12. New Folk Song
13. Saccharine
14. Severance
15. Shell Game Redux



For more information, visit:
www.paintitblack.org
www.myspace.com/paintitblack
www.jadetree.com

Pop Matters reviews Coyote's "Outsides!"

thanks to Chris Baynes, Sarah Zupko, and the entire PopMatters.com staff!



Coyote
Outsides
(Hot Dog City)
US release date: 20 November 2007
UK release date: 19 November 2007
by Chris Baynes



From the offset it’s apparent that Coyote aren’t your average band. Opening with sparse guitar, jazzy bass and meandering keys that give way to Ryan Hamiliton’s incomprehensible murmurs and an organ whose sound lies halfway between church and haunted house, Outsides doesn’t get any more conventional as it goes on. Hell, even the sleeve is strange, with the album title twisted and twirled almost beyond recognition before a background of eerily distorted landscape.

What first hits you about Coyote is that organ, or at least that keyboard, coaxed into acting out the Church’s musical courier of choice. Whether skulking in the background or pushing to the fore, it is inescapable due to its sheer unorthodoxy, coating more conventional guitar riffs with an otherworldly sheen, the first encounters with “Quietly” bringing to mind retro dungeon-scampering videogame Castlevania more than practice rooms and smoky bars. A few listens later, however, and what was hitherto a conspicuous discolouration of Coyote’s sound becomes simply another part of the melodic patchwork that makes up Outsides, in the same way that Tyondai Braxton’s yelped glossolallia has become an integral part of Battles’ sound rather than trill obtrusion.



Outsides an addictive album even before you adjust to its peculiarities, however. This effect might be borne partially of intrigue, perhaps, but on the whole it is Coyote’s sonic qualities that keep you coming back; the clashing maelstrom of sounds that scarcely veils a melodic heart. You have “White Fox“‘s intricate keys, for instance, intertwining with a thinly distorted guitar that ranges from sparing twangs to cathartic riffing, or the more composed stomp of “Tea Kettle”, whose keys and guitar march in line to Jeff Mooridian’s authoritarian drum beat. “Old School Gratitude”, meanwhile, is a brooding scuzz-rocker, harking back to Bleach-era Nirvana fed through a drinking session with the Black Keys, which, as if to exemplify Coyote’s strength in diversity, follows on from “Headlights”, the most melodically sweet moment on the record, hurling harmonies to-and-fro between the guitar and keys.

And then there are the vocals. At times loitering deep in the mix, letting the music do the talking, at others leaping to the fore with unprecedented zeal, Hamilton’s chants, wails and sighs are a persistent draw. While “White Fox” begins as a cryptic hymnal, Hamilton’s mumbles indecipherable below the soaring organ, “Tea Kettle” sees this develop into a pronounced chant, before becoming a visceral sermon, spat out on “Old School Gratitude”. If there is an air of psychosis pervading over his drawl, it is one that is accompanied at all times with pitch-perfection, as “Gala of Spades” demonstrates, with Hamilton coming across as Thom Yorke starring in a sinister pantomime.

Indeed, there is an unhinged darkness about Outsides that extends far further than its enigmatic sleeve. It’s as if someone had taken My Morning Jacket, plonked them in the middle of dark, densely forested landscape and told them to fend for themselves. It is this landscape—these Outsides-- and the resultant mania that would ensue, that this album soundtracks, distorting conventional song structures and instrumentation beyond recognition. The production here is appropriately murky and, though one or two of the album’s ten tracks could do with a little sharpening up—the latter half of the album perhaps does not make as big an impression as the first—generally it suits Coyote’s nature.

Sadly, Coyote become a three-piece earlier this year when bassist Trevor Butler was tragically killed in a road accident. If Outsides, completed shortly before his death, is to stand as his legacy, then it is one to be proud of; a bold, adventurous and often surreal exploration of musical waters hitherto remained mostly untouched. Time will tell if Coyote continue in Butler’s absence, but in the meantime we are inclined to hope that they do, for the song-writing and invention shown in their debut full-length makes for a genuinely rewarding listen.

* * "Half the Time" MP3
* * "White Fox" MP3
* * Multiple songs MySpace

Coyote - White Fox video


RATING: 7/10
— 18 December 2007
Tagged as: coyote

Spin.com reviews Fatal Flying Guilloteens' "Quantum Fucking!"

huge thanks to Aaron Burgess, MacKenzie Wilson, and the entire Spin.com staff!



Fatal Flying Guilloteens
Quantum Fucking
(Frenchkiss)

Texas troublemakers sound almost as scary as their name.



Fatal Flying Guilloteens

Though still youthfully rabid at three albums old, these Houston miscreants easily could've sprung from the late-'80s pigfuck scene (Killdozer, Scratch Acid, Big Black). Thankfully, their tunes -- lumbering, treble-scarred shit-fits that are equal parts the Birthday Party and Fun House-era Stooges -- pack greater oomph than nostalgia acts usually manage. Quantum Fucking finds the FFGs sneering and sweating their way through some of the most convincingly menacing garage punk the underground has puked up in years -- 20 to be exact. AARON BURGESS

Now Hear This:
Fatal Flying Guilloteens - "Reveal the Rats" DOWNLOAD MP3

CMJ reviews Team Robespierre w/ Yeasayer!

much thanks to Jason Glastetter for his endless support in 2007!



I’m sure as the sold out crowd started to filter into New York City’s Mercury Lounge to see the headlining act, Yeasayer, on Saturday night, they just weren’t quite prepared for what was in store for them with Team Robespierre... (click to continue reading)



www.myspace.com/teamrobespierre

The Number Twelve Looks Like You Announce New Video * DVD Shoot Tomorrow @ School of Rock!

Announce New Video for "Grandfather" * DVD Shoot Tomorrow @ School of Rock!



Following the record breaking release of The Number Twelve Looks Like You's Mongrel this summer on Eyeball Records, came the Sounds of The Underground Tour (featuring The Number 12 w/ Gwar, Every Time I Die, and more), a headlining tour of the States, and support dates w/ Drop Dead Gorgeous and From Autumn to Ashes.

And now, after much anticipation, The Number Twelve announces a new video for the cerebral, riot-inciting rocker, "Grandfather!" which will be released in its entirety this coming January 2008!



Watch the teaser video for "Grandfather" HERE!

And there is no rest for the wicked. Tomorrow, Saturday December 15th, 2007 at the band's hometown venue The School of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ, The Number Twelve Looks Like You, does what they do best in front of the cameras and several hundred of their fans and closest friends, as they record a set for the band's upcoming DVD/EP due out Spring '08 on Eyeball Records!



Themed around the historic 1938 broadcast reading of War of the Worlds, Number Twelve has developed a narrative and on stage scene that will ultimately be as frightening as their ambition and talent. The taped performance is open to all ages and will cost only $5 through NY/NJ booking upstarts Excess Db. Doors are at 7pm and the live set starts at 9pm. Visit www.Excessdb.com, www.schoolofrock.com, and www.EyeballRecords.com for more information.



For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/tntllu
www.eyeballrecords.com

Punknews reviews O'Death's "Head Home!" * NYC Shows Next Weekend!

huge thanks to Jon, Aubin, Brian, and the entire Punknews staff!



Review by: JonDaley



**** (4/5 stars)

It seems that the majority of “folk-punk” bands like Ghost Mice and Defiance, Ohio remain relatively underground operations, garnering devout fanbases for their passion but are critically ignored. On the opposite end of the spectrum, “indie-folk” personalities like Okkervil River and Will Oldham tend to gain more widespread critical acclaim and more widespread popularity. Looking perhaps to bridge the gap between the firebrand enthusiasm of the former and the depth of the latter comes New York’s O’Death.

The banjo is quite a joyful instrument; to make it sound mournful must be quite a task, but from the opening plucks on “Down to Rest,” O’Death succeed in just that. The gang vocals that repeat "lay me, lay me, down to rest, down to rest," give the sense of a chain gang. In fact, each song on the album could very well be confessions from such a rogues gallery moving along on their way to damnation. Head Home isn’t a completely sackcloth and ashes affair however, for if the old-time radio vocals, thumping bass and frenzied drumming of “Allie Mae Reynolds” don’t make you grab your partner and do-see-doe, you may have already left the land of the living. Coincidentally, “Rickety Fence Teeth” may make you think just that, being anchored by jangly crashes that resemble jug band found sounds and vocals that would be similar to a preacher singing for a traditional screamo band. A great deal of the time the vocals on the album sound like they are made by a quivering out of tune drunkard, which works for this kind of music, but when main vocalist Greg actually attempts to sing well (see: "Jesus Look Down"), he proves to have quite the pleasant voice.

When one thinks of home, words like “natural,” “inclusive” and “whole” spring to mind. O’Death evoke similar mental images with Head Home, as each part of the record fits together tremendously. For instance, the previously mentioned gang vocals from “Down to Rest” return in the second to last song “Nathaniel” to bookend the album before it closes with the creaking instrumental of “Gas Can Row."

If you are indeed a fan of Americana folk and want something that will spirit you away with a more frantic feeling than you are generally used to from other indie-folk bands, O’Death can provide that. If the fancy strikes, you may also want to throw on your best brogue and say “hey bartender, Irish up this death will you!” or not.

also next weekend!



www.myspace.com/odeath

SLEEP STATION Announces New Album, "The Pride of Chester James," out February '08 on Eyeball!

Announces New Album, "The Pride of Chester James," out February 5th, 2008 on Eyeball Records!



"A gifted pop songwriter who pens concept albums at a breakneck pace" - Lost At Sea

"Catchy enough to burrow deep into even the most reluctant listener’s head." - Pop Matters

"Dave Debiak, the mastermind behind the plot, and his band create some beautiful orchestral pop that is influenced by Grandaddy, The Flaming Lips, the Pernice Brothers, and even the Alan Parsons Project." - Done Waiting

"Headed by the narrative-minded David Debiak and having previously written the score to a film that never existed in Hang in There Charlie, Sleep Station’s newest work is the kind of thematically cogent album of which Hemingway would be proud." - Stylus Magazine

Sleep Station is the alter-ego of one David Debiak, a man who is notorious for writing some of the most groundbreaking concept albums of our generation. Over the past seven years he's released albums about a robotics engineer falling in love with a robot he created, two astronauts being abandoned by ground control and left to die in outer space, the love story of Dr. Carl Von Cosel (a famous necrophiliac who fell in love with his deceased patient, Elena Hoyos), and a first person drama taking place in World War II. Also the creative force behind New London Fire's epic I Sing The Body Holographic in 2006, Debiak has now turned his focus back on Sleep Station with The Pride of Chester James.

The recording, mixing and mastering process of this new record was scattered over the course of three years amidst tours, mental breakdowns, and all of the other wonderful obstacles life has to offer. In a finished basement that stylistically hadn’t changed since 1975, Debiak and company brought The Pride of Chester James to life with the help of a borrowed vintage tape machine, Hammond organs, pianos, Rhodes, Wurlitzers, and some old guitars and amps.

Though there were many moments over the years that made this record what it is, Debiak remembers one night in particular seeming to embody the creation of The Pride of Chester James. “One night Brad called me up and asked me stop by his house where he was recording his parts for the song “Always In The Fire”. When I showed up I found a rather unclean Brad in a very dirty and scattered bedroom. I climbed over the instruments and tangled chords to sit down and take a listen. What I heard was brilliant, he managed to layer the song beautifully and with great care. I asked how he got a choir to sing on the song only to find out that it was just him and his Mom huddled in his bedroom layering vocal tracks. I laughed my ass off and told him to please take a shower.”

A beautifully landscaped mash up of The Decemberists, Bright Eyes, Neutral Milk Hotel, Ryan Adams, Doves, Elliot Smith, Beachwood Sparks, Olivia Tremor Control, The Weakerthans, and Bruce Springsteen, The Pride of Chester James is a piano and acoustic-guitar-driven masterpiece where Debiak's vocals are behind the wheel, solidifying this songwriter as one of the best and brightest of our time.

"The record has weighed heavily on me for quite sometime. I often felt myself reflecting on it whether it be in a small hotel room in Paris or in my sleep. Writing the songs was the easy part, they came naturally, living and reliving them was far more difficult but some say that the joy is in the journey."

Players:
David Debiak (vocals, guitar, piano, percussion, ham radio)
Ryan Ball (guitar, drums, keyboards, wurlitzer, lap steel, mandolin, bass, piano, field recording)
Brad Paxton (guitar, vocals, drums, piano, mellotron, keyboards)
Kris Ricat (guitar, drums)
Josh Nichols (bass, piano)
Jason Debiak (paino, percussion)
Richard Polatchek (trumpet, percussion)
Vahak Janbazian (drums)

Produced by: David Debiak and Ryan Ball



Click here to stream all of The Pride of Chester James!

Tracklisting for The Pride of Chester James
01. Hello Mr. Coughlin
02. Under The Lights
03. What You Hide
04. Settle On Your Name
05. Tired Of Me Now
06. Bells
07. Paris
08. Anna
09. Thunder
10. Hell Has Come With Me
11. Fall
12. Distance
13. Always In The Fire
14. Our Carnival

Sleep Station 2008 Live Dates Coming Soon!



For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/sleepstation
www.eyeballrecords.com

The LA Times Hype Foxy Shazam!

huge thanks to Kirk Miller, Andy Hermann, and the entire LA Times MetroMix staff!



Foxy Shazam, "Introducing" (New Weathermen/Ferret)
Hyped on: we wore masks / A Shiny New Machine



Who: A party-punk quintet from Cincinnati that has (somewhat) inexplicably garnered a following on the hardcore scene.

What: Although the blog world has aligned Foxy with the spazz-core of the Blood Brothers (R.I.P.), these guys are far too upbeat for the noise scene. Credit the combo of full-time pianist Sky White and the theatrical and (dare we say it?) Meat Loaf–like range of vocalist Eric Nally for giving this punk assault a glammy, peppy kick.

Made for: Non-angry punks who still, nonetheless, hate emo. ‘70s rock fanatics (Elton, Meat Loaf, Bowie) who think a whole lotta amphetamines would’ve really helped the scene. Those of us who miss Andrew W.K.

X-Factor: Pianist White enjoys both jumping on and doing push-ups on his piano, and once reportedly played his keyboards on stage with a severed deer hoof (not to be confused with the college rockers Deerhoof). – KM

www.myspace.com/foxyshazam

Absolutepunk interviews Foxy Shazam!

huge thanks to Julia Conny and the entire Absolute Punk staff! Click images below to read!



Foxy Shazam - 11.27.07
Posted on 12-08-07 by Julia Conny



www.myspace.com/foxyshazam

The Onion AV Club reviews Coyote's "Outsides!"

huge thanks to Jason Heller and the entire AV Club staff!



Coyote
Outsides
(Hot Dog City)



Reviewed by Jason Heller
December 4th, 2007

Coyote's Trevor Butler died in July in a van wreck while on tour with his other band, Bottom Of The Hudson. Sudden tragedies like these often cast a haunting shadow over a band's subsequent release, but Outsides bursts with such primal energy and alchemy, it feels more like a celebration than a eulogy. Granted, the disc is dark: Featuring members of Man Man and Vaz, the band successfully summons The Doors and Black Heart Procession on "Tea Kettle," one of Outsides' many instances of keyboard-twisted slither. Elsewhere—for instance, on the cloudy, wailing cabaret of "Gala Of Spades"—Coyote sounds like a zombified Pleasure Forever. But the disc never succumbs to morbidity in its attempt to revel in the spooky stuff.

A.V. Club Rating: B+

www.myspace.com/coyotetheband

Plug Awards Reminder... Vote!

The nominees have been announced and now it's time to vote!



Huge thanks to the Plug Awards for acknowledging various artists from the Solid PR roster @ this year's Plug Awards:

METAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Big Business "Here Come The Water Works" (Hydra Head)
Jesu "Conqueror" (Hydra Head)
The Austerity Program "Black Madonna" (Hydra Head)

PUNK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Fucked Up "Year of the Pig" (What's Your Rupture)

AVANT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Zs "Arms" (Planaria)

cast your votes by clicking the Plug Awards logo above!

*** Also! We'd like to extend our vote, and hopefully yours, to our good friends, The Independent Playground w/ Tom and Rudy (CD101 in Columbus) for best Specialty Show of The Year (Commercial Radio)! Throught '07 The Independent Playground has shown tremendous support to the Solid PR roster, so go vote for them and listen to their show online every Thursday and Sunday night by clicking HERE!

FOXY SHAZAM Announce US Tour w/ Karate High School and Peachcake!

Announces US Tour w/ Karate High School and Peachcake in support of upcoming album “Introducing Foxy Shazam,” out January 22nd on New Weathermen / Ferret!



WATCH THIS!

From Ray Charles to Axl Rose, Little Richard to Jerry Lee Lewis, the piano and pianist have been driving forces fueling some of the most monstrous musical movements ever put to audience's ears. And most often, especially when performed live, these moments of powerful and sometimes flamboyant epics, melt minds and faces for decades, and even centuries, to come.

Enter, Foxy Shazam.

Taking their queue from contemporaries like At the Drive-In, Gogol Bordello, Man Man, and others in the modern piano-driven punk era, FOXY SHAZAM construct a formula of chaotic and disjointed, convulsive punk rock, complete w/ apocalyptic lyrics and doom-ridden instrumentation, seemingly rising and intoxicating like vapors from a cryptic, acid-laden party in hell. Imagine the soundtrack to a bad trip featuring demon-gnomes encircling and bouncing about, eyes bulging like that creature on the plane in Stephen King's Twilight Zone. Freaky shit!

But Foxy Shazam just want to have fun. Their current US tour w/ label-mates Heavy Heavy Low Low and guests Tera Melos, sees the band touring the length of the country, calling to action the kids who want to disrupt normal routine and lash out against daily false-reality. Stage dive, start a pit, and don't worry about making sense. We're just here to party.



More about Foxy Shazam:

The self-proclaimed “Evel Knievel of Rock N Roll,” Foxy Shazam is here to make a musical death defying stunt with their New Weathermen debut Introducing, to be released in January of 2008. The album, recorded with producer Casey Bates (Chiodos, Heavy Heavy Low Low) takes their piano propelled songs that layer spastic hardcore noise atop fractured Soul inspired pop to a new level, one that emphasizes - well - good times, tells vocalist Eric Nally. “The whole point of the album is to be a feel-good dance party. We stepped up our game while throwing our whole selves and personality quirks in it, making the album very centered and focused on our development.” The songs are varied, and there are a few head scratchers thrown in the mix, tells Nally. “One song, Dangerous Man, is meant for the soundtrack of a Robin Hood film. Another song, Red Cape Diver, is about a bull fighter who is telling his family that he loves them before he goes off to work. But most of the songs are just about having a good time.” The first single off of their record, and one of the biggest party-starters, Yes Yes Yes! is making its debut on Myspace this month.

Foxy Shazam has been taking their party mobile since their formation in 2004. The quintet from Cincinnati, OH, which consists of Nally, Loren Turner (guitar), Daisy (bass), Sky White (piano), and Joe Halberstadt (drums) are currently out on tour with Heavy Heavy Low Low and Tera Melos, and have booked their own tours in the past with Tub Ring, Look What I Did, and others. Speaking on their direction, Turner admits “we decided early on not to hold back on any kind of sound as long as it sounds good, we will use it.” The result is a divergent sound that doesn’t fit comfortably in any one genre but reaches across many. “We’ve always gone over well with our live shows whether playing to a bar full of old guys or a VFW hall full of hardcore kids we also draw a positive reaction.” Through this intense live show experience, the band has drawn a fanbase in many national markets. While their shows tend to get a little wild, for example the band playing to reckless abandon including White playing the piano with a severed deer hoof and Nally putting out a lit cigarette on his cheek, the emphasis is on the visible, soulful nature of the music. “We tend to be really theatrical because we are so passionate about the music. It really moves us, and we don’t need props to show it.”

The band released their debut album The Flamingo Trigger (2005), and then went on to tour exhaustively, performing over two hundred shows within a span of eighteen months. The word of mouth about the band began to spread catching the attention of many, including The Number Twelve Looks Like You's front man and band manager, Jesse Korman. Foxy Shazam was then quickly introduced by Jesse to Nick Storch of New Weathermen Records. Storch recalls "He (Korman) told me I had to check them out and at first I had no idea what was going on in their music and put it aside. A few weeks later I put their demos back in with a fresh mind and it clicked right away, these guys are chaotic but there's also a real pop sensibility that doesn't usually occur with bands this far out." Foxy Shazam is the second artist to be signed to the label in partnership with Ferret Music. The band will be heading out on a full US tour with Heavy Heavy Low Low and Tera Melos in November so keep checking Ferretstyle.com for details.



“Introducing” Tracklist:
1. Introducing Foxy
2. The Rocketeer
3. A Dangerous Man
4. The Science Of Love
5. A Black Man's Breakfast
6. It's Hair Smelled Like Bonfire
7. Red Cape Diver
8. Yes! Yes! Yes!
9. Ghost Animals
10. Cool

Foxy Shazam Live!

w/ Karate High School and Peachcake!

Jan 17 2008 The Mad Hatter Covington, Kentucky
Jan 18 2008 The Attic Club Dayton, Ohio
Jan 19 2008 The School (BCA) Pittsburg, Pennsylvania
Jan 20 2008 The Basement Nightclub Cleveland, Ohio
Jan 21 2008 Infinity Williamsville, New York
Jan 22 2008 Tap Bar @ the Knitting Factory New York, New York
Jan 23 2008 Balcony Bar (@ Troc.) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jan 24 2008 ICC Performance Halls Allston, Massachusett
Jan 25 2008 The Camel Richmond, Virginia
Jan 26 2008 Guzmans Harrisonburg, Virginia
Jan 27 2008 The Soapbox Laundrolounge Wilmington, North Carolina
Jan 29 2008 Studio A Miami, Florida
Jan 30 2008 The Orpheum Ybor City, Florida
Jan 31 2008 Big Daddy’s Tallahassee, Florida
Feb 1 2008 The High Ground Metairie, Louisiana
Feb 4 2008 Red 7 Austin, Texas
Feb 5 2008 The Compound Corpus Christi, Texas
Feb 6 2008 Rock Bottom Bar San Antonio, Texas
Feb 8 2008 The One Place Phoenix, Arizona
Feb 12 2008 The Whisky West Hollywood, California
Feb 13 2008 Blakes on Telegraph Berkeley, California
Feb 14 2008 Stoney’s Reno, Nevada
Feb 16 2008 Studio Seven Seattle, Washington
Feb 19 2008 Club NVO Logan, Utah



For more information, visit:
www.myspace.com/foxyshazam
www.ferretstyle.com

Decibel Interviews The Austerity Program and Eugene Robinson * Review Tusk and Huguenots!

huge thanks to Joe Gross, J Bennet, Shane Mehling, and the entire Decibel staff! click photos and album art to be take to full stories:



Eugene Robinson talks about his new book "Fight!":



The Austerity Program slays:



Tusk and Huguenots reviews: